Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

In 2008-2009 this was a good sander but in 2021 there have been many, many other brands (corded and cordless) that have far surpassed it. In the long run this sander's pads, dust filter and dampener ring wear out relatively quickly. -I started noticing swirl marks on work surfaces as it aged. -The variable speed dial they use is a cheap part and gets dust in it that made it stall occasionally. Compressed air and moving the dial back and forth fixes it but I shouldn't have to do that. -The replacement pads wear out quickly and are higher price than industry norms. Also not easy to find in the U.S. I can't believe BOSCH is still selling this after more than a DECADE!!! It's way past time for an engineering update. Move on if you are considering this sander. Original Review from 2008: _____________________________________ Bosch has hit a home run with this great redesign of an already great tool. This is an update of the popular Bosch 1295DVS(Variable Speed) random orbit sander. The Bosch 1295 was rated the best value AND the best overall random orbit sander in the August 2006 issue of Fine Woodworker magazine. It beat out the equivalent Festool, DeWalt, Makita, Craftsman, Rigid, Ryobi, and Porter-Cable. I bought the ROS20VSK for $69.97 +tax at a big box retailer. I used the 1295DVS several months ago and now this one for a few weeks. They are very similar in performance. Same smooth start-up and great motion yet relatively low vibration and easy to control. Same vigorous removal of material but with a very even, smooth pattern. I'd like to see a side by side performance test of the ROS20VS and the 1295DVS because their internals are somewhat different, the most significant of which is the ROS20VS's less powerful motor. The visible differences in this model are the features that were the biggest complaints from reviews of the 1295DVS. Bosch seems to have been listening: dust collection, sanding pad durability and ergonomics are all improved. Ergonomics - The top has been given more form and elongated, similar to other random orbitals, but Bosch has made it's "tail" a bit more substantial than most. I thought it might get in the way and make it clunky but it doesn't. The shape allows for solid two handed sanding if needed and many other secure & comfortable hand holds. The variable speed dial has been moved to the back so there is no chance of accidentally adjusting it. Molded rubber has been added to all the right places for hands. There is even a small patch of rubber in the back above the dust port that is prefect extra grip for an index finger or thumb. Sanding Pad - It comes with a standard soft backing pad with patented "Hook-Tight" backing. Bosch claims these extra tiny velcro hooks are more durable and thus make the pad last a lot longer. They also say it holds discs better and doesn't get clogged with dust as easily. My first use tells me the latter two claims are right. Time will tell on the pad's durability. The hooks are quite tiny, much more so than on any other hook & loop sander I've seen.(see picture above) Also... good feature: Bosch offers optional extra-soft pads for polishing and hard pads for finish removal... very thoughtful feature: Bosch provides space in the case for one of these optional pads. Dust Collection - It seems a common complaint of the 1295DVS was its lack of an included vacuum attachment. If you wanted one, you had to shell out another $10. With this sander a vacuum hose attachment is included, it fits both 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 " vacuum hoses, and there is a special space for it in the case. Also, the dust outlet port is no longer a weird oblong shape but a 19mm cylinder with a rubber o-ring so you can use it directly with a Bosch hose if you have one. The on-board dust collector has a larger translucent canister and comes off easily with a twisting motion. Because of the o-ring, it seals back on air-tight. It also has an easy to remove pop-off top with a pleated paper filter. (The filter is welded to the plastic top so a replacement filter would include a new top; the manual stresses not to wash the filter, dry clean only.) This collector is great for small jobs but it is so good at sucking up dust, you have to empty it regularly especially when using coarse grits. Having a vacuum attached is the way to go for bigger jobs. No big complaints so far. Bosch has made a great sander better and when you add the case that has room for accessories and a bunch of discs, I think this is the best 5" variable speed random orbit sander in it's class... certainly the best deal. --- UPDATE September '08 --- This sander has gone up in price since being introduced.(exchange rate) It's still worth every penny though. I have come to love the on-board dust collector; it is awesome! Very little wood dust escapes the powerful suction created. You must empty it regularly!!! If you don't, dust can block the filter and a large amount of air is forced back out through the pad's holes causing an undetectable air-cushion. I've found that this reverse air pressure can cause the disc to be released from the pad's hooks (too much dust collection is a nice problem to have). --- June '09 --- Still running strong & smooth. At 5" and 2.2 amps, this efficient sander is, by nature, a finish sander. There are other types of sanders for other uses. That said, with 50 or 80 grit, this sander will tear through old finish, raised grain, scratches and cut marks... smoothly. If you plan to do a lot of coarse grit sanding, the hard sanding pad (Bosch Part No. RS035) improves performance substantially.